Animism is ... When and why did animism arise

In the world there are many different religions and beliefs. Some of them are understandable to most people, some of them remain for many people obscure and closed. In this article I want to tell you about why, when and why animism arose, and also what is inherently this.

Notation of the concept

To begin to understand any topic is necessary with the notation of its concepts. After all, it is often enough just to find out the meaning of the main word in order to understand what will be discussed. So, in this version, such a term is such a term as "animism". Translated from the Latin language, it sounds like "animus", which means "spirit, soul." Now we can draw a simple conclusion that animism is a belief in various non-material beings, such as spirits or souls, that can be in a variety of things, phenomena or objects, according to the nuances of the beliefs of certain tribes or societies.

Basic in Taylor's theory

In science, this concept was introduced by the philosopher F. Taylor at the end of the XIX century. The very term "animism" was put into circulation by the German scientist G.E. Stahl. Taylor considered this form of belief too simple, inherent only in the most ancient tribes. And although this is one of the archaic forms of religion, there was a lot of unfairness in Taylor's theory. According to him, the beliefs of the ancient peoples developed in two ways. The first is a desire to reflect on dreams, birth and death processes, reasoning after various trans state states (which were included due to different hallucinogens). Due to this primitive people had certain thoughts about the existence of souls, which later grew into reflections on their migration, afterlife , etc. The second direction was due to the fact that the ancient people were ready to animate all of their surroundings, animate it. So, they believed that trees, the sky, everyday objects - all this also has a soul, something wants and thinks about something, all this has its own emotions and thoughts. Later, according to Taylor, these beliefs grew into polytheism - faith in the forces of nature, the power of the dead ancestors, and then in monotheism. The conclusion from Taylor's theory can be made the following: in his opinion, animism is the minimum of religion. And this idea was often taken as a basis by many scientists of different directions. However, for the sake of truth, it must be said that his theory also has weaknesses, as ethnographic evidence may suggest (not always the first religions include animistic beliefs). Modern scientists say that animism is the basis of most of today's existing beliefs and religions, and elements of animism are inherent in many people.

About perfume

Knowing that animism is a belief in spirits, it is worthwhile to consider in more detail what Taylor himself said about this. So, he believed that this belief is more based on the sensations that a person experiences during sleep or a special trance. Today, this can be compared with those feelings that are inherent in man, for example, on his deathbed. The man himself exists in two units of different nature: the body, the material part, and the soul, the non-material. It is the soul that can leave the shell of the body, move from one state to another, move, that is, exist after the death of its body. According to Taylor's theory of animism, the soul can do much more than just go to the land of the dead or the afterlife. If desired, she can manage living relatives, contact them through certain personalities (for example, shamans) in order to transmit messages, participate in various holidays dedicated to dead ancestors and so on.

Fetishism

It should also be said that fetishism, totemism, animism are similar in nature religions, which sometimes arose from each other. So, often animism could flow into fetishism. What does it mean? Ancient people also believed that the spirit does not necessarily have to be introduced after the death of the body into the same body, it could go into any surrounding object. Fetishism is inherently a belief in the strength of surrounding objects (all or certain, for example, statues) endowed with soul. Very often fetishism flowed from the general belief that everything surrounding is animated, in a narrower direction. An example may be the shrines of the ancestors of African tribes or the ancestral plates of the Chinese, who were worshiped for a long time, believing in their strength and power. Very often fetishes were used by shamans, choosing a special object for this. It was believed that the soul of a shaman settles in there, when he provides his body to communicate with the spirits of the deceased.

Mutuality

Having already learned that animism is a belief in spirits, it is also worth noting that some tribes believed also that a person can have several souls that have different destinations and live in different parts of the body: in the crown, legs or hands. As for the viability of these souls, it could be diverse. Some of them could remain in the grave with the deceased person, others went to the afterlife for further residence there. And some simply moved into the child to animate. An example is the Yakuts who believe that a man has eight souls, and a woman has seven souls. In some beliefs, parents gave birth to a part of their souls at the time of the birth of the child, which again can be said about merriment.

Totemism

By their nature, totemism is similar to animism. It was peculiar for people to give soul not only to surrounding objects, but also animals that live side by side. However, in some tribes believed that all animals have a soul, in others - only some, the so-called totemic animals, which the tribe worshiped. As for the souls of animals, it was believed that they also know how to move. Interesting was the fact that many believed that the souls of dead people can be moved not only to a new person, but also to a totemic animal. And vice versa. Very often the totemic animal acted as the spirit-keeper of this tribe.

Animatism

Knowing that animism is a belief in the power of spirits, it is necessary to say a few words about such belief as animatism. This belief in a huge faceless force, which gives life all around. This can be yield, human luck, fertility of livestock. One can say with certainty that these beliefs were inherent not only to ancient people, they are still alive today. For example, in India they believe that there are many different spirits that live in the mountains, forests and fields. Bongi (Indian perfume) can be both good and evil. And to calm or appease them, and now they bring various gifts and arrange ceremony of sacrifice.

About nature

Animism is a religion that gives souls everything around them. So, for example, the inhabitants of the Andaman Islands believed that natural phenomena and nature itself (the sun, the sea, the wind, the moon) had a huge power. However, according to their opinions, such spirits were most often evil and always tried to injure a person. For example, the spirit of the forest of the Erem chaugala can injure a person or even kill with invisible arrows, and the evil and ferocious spirit of the sea can strike his person with an incurable disease. However, at the same time, the spirits of nature were also considered patrons of individual tribes. So, some considered their patron sun, others - the wind, etc. But other spirits also needed to be respected and worshiped, although for a particular village they could be less significant.

In conclusion

It is interesting that according to the opinion of fans of animism, the whole world around the human being is completely inhabited by souls that can live in various objects, as well as all living things - animals, plants. The very human soul in general is a huge value in comparison with the body.

Important is the fact that everything that is dangerous or intangible for a person was also accepted as animate. It was often thought that volcanoes, rocky mountains were the abode of various spirits, and, for example, eruptions are caused by anger or dissatisfaction with people's deeds. It is worth mentioning that the animist world was also inhabited by various monsters and dangerous creatures, such as the Windigo of the Indians, but also by positive creatures - fairies, elves. However, just as Taylor and his followers did not belong to animism, this religion is not primitive. It has its own special logic, consistency, it is an original belief system. As for the present, today it is unlikely to find a society that is completely animistic, but the elements of this phenomenon for many remain relevant even today, despite the fact that man is inherently a Christian or a follower of some other modern religion.